Meaning & use
ensemble
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Meanings
nouncountablemusic
A small group of musicians, singers or dancers who regularly perform together.
Grammar: A collective noun: the ensemble is rehearsing, or in British English the ensemble are.
Patterns
- an ensemble of something
- join an ensemble
The school string ensemble played at the graduation ceremony.
He joined a jazz ensemble after moving to New Orleans.
The vocal ensemble sang without any instruments.
nouncountable
A set of things, especially clothes, chosen to be seen or used as a coordinated whole.
Grammar: Often followed by of or describing an outfit: a stylish ensemble.
Patterns
- an ensemble of something
- wear an ensemble
She wore a navy ensemble with matching shoes to the interview.
The kitchen came with an ensemble of copper pots in all sizes.
The designer unveiled a winter ensemble made of wool and leather.
nouncountable
The cast of a play or film considered as a team, with no single star.
Grammar: Often used before a noun: an ensemble cast.
Patterns
- an ensemble cast
- as an ensemble
The film features a talented ensemble of young actors.
Critics praised the ensemble for playing off one another so well.
In an ensemble show, every character gets a storyline.
Word forms
| plural | ensembles |
|---|
Common combinations
- ensemble cast
- The ensemble cast made the comedy a success.
- chamber ensemble
- A chamber ensemble performed in the library.
- vocal ensemble
- The vocal ensemble toured Europe last summer.
- coordinated ensemble
- She wore a coordinated ensemble of scarf, hat and gloves.
- play in an ensemble
- He loves to play in an ensemble more than perform solo.
Synonyms and how they differ
- band
- Band usually means a rock, pop or jazz group, while ensemble suggests a more formal or classical group.
- troupe
- Troupe is mainly for traveling actors or dancers, not musicians.
- outfit
- Outfit is the casual word for clothes worn together, whereas ensemble implies they are matched with care.
- group
- Group is general and carries no sense of working in harmony, which ensemble does.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: ensemble or assemble?
ensemble vs assemble
Assemble is a verb meaning to gather or put together, while ensemble is a noun for a group or a matching set.
Practice
A film in which many actors share equal importance has an ___ cast.
Choose one answer.
Ensemble cast is the fixed phrase for a team of actors with similar importance. Assemble is a verb and does not modify cast.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ensemble”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.